American Civil Liberties Union

We've just gotten word from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the ACLU has won our case on behalf of Diane Schroer, a retired Army Colonel who was offered a job as a terrorism research analyst at the Library of Congress, only to have the offer rescinded when she told her future supervisor that she was in the process of gender transition. You can read the decision here.

"My two gay dads have a very close relationship with our local branch of the ACLU!"

When the overachieving show choir diva Rachel Berry delivered that line during last night's episode of Glee, I perked up a bit on the sofa. It's the second time the ACLU has gotten something of a shout-out from Rachel, invoking our name to threaten lawsuits. The first time was a few weeks ago during the "Wheels" episode, in which she dropped our name to a restaurant manager to pressure him to hire her friend Finn, sitting next to her in a wheelchair, with the veiled threat of a disability discrimination case. Fighting disability discrimination in employment is something we actually do care about a lot, except that in this case Finn was faking his disability.

(Also posted at The Bilerico Project and Get Busy, Get Equal)

To illustrate why Congress must pass the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal law that would ban discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the workplace, we will be posting the firsthand accounts of people from across the nation who have been fired, refused a job, or harassed in the workplace because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This summer the ACLU put out a call for stories, and these are just a fraction of stories we received.

Laura J. Doty, Boise, Idaho
I was hired in April 1997 as an adult probation officer in Power County, Idaho. I was closeted except for my direct supervisor, who had no problem with my sexuality. It was a professional environment, and my peer reviews indicated I was respected and did a good job. I liked being able to help people overcome difficulties and improve themselves. I had letters of recommendation from the prosecuting attorney, a letter of recommendation from my direct supervisor, and positive reviews from a judge and the public defender.

In September of 1997, I ran into a co-worker from the county building at a store and introduced my partner to her. Two days later, the Power County Commissioners called me in and told me I was unhappy at work and I could quit or be fired. I said they would have to fire me.